Transbronchial Cryobiopsy in the Diagnosis of Fibrotic Interstitial Lung Disease

* Context.--Transbronchial cryobiopsy is an emerging procedure to obtain lung tissue for diagnosis of interstitial lung disease and has gained popularity because it is less invasive and has a lower rate of complications compared with nonselective surgical lung biopsy. Objective.--To provide an overview of the status of the medical literature regarding transbronchial cryobiopsy. Data Sources.--A literature search was performed using PubMed search engine. The terms 'cryobiopsy' or 'cryo-probe' and 'interstitial lung disease' or 'diffuse parenchymal lung disease' or 'pulmonary fibrosis' were used, with the search concluding at the end of November 2019. Conclusions.--While the diagnostic yield of transbronchial cryobiopsy is slightly lower than surgical lung biopsy, a growing amount of literature suggests that with a multidisciplinary approach cryobiopsy provides diagnostic and prognostic information approaching that of surgical lung biopsy with lower morbidity and mortality. doi: 10.5858/arpa.2020-0007-RA
Diffuse interstitial lung diseases (ILD) are a heterogeneous group that differ widely in their pathogenesis, clinicopathologic features, therapeutic options, and prognosis. In approximately 30% of ILD patients, the specific diagnosis [...]